Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
    • Gaming
      • Black Friday PS5 Deals
      • Black Friday Switch Deals
      • Black Friday Xbox Deals
      • Black Friday Retro Deals
    • PC
      • Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals
      • Black Friday Graphics Card Deals
      • Black Friday Alienware Deals
    • Tabletop & Merch
      • Black Friday Lego Deals
      • Black Friday Board Game Deals
      • Black Friday Pokémon Card Deals
      • Black Friday Warhammer Deals
      • Gift Guides
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Black Friday
    • View Black Friday
      • Black Friday PS5 Deals
      • Black Friday Switch Deals
      • Black Friday Xbox Deals
      • Black Friday Retro Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals
      • Black Friday Graphics Card Deals
      • Black Friday Alienware Deals
      • Black Friday Lego Deals
      • Black Friday Board Game Deals
      • Black Friday Pokémon Card Deals
      • Black Friday Warhammer Deals
      • Gift Guides
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
The 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters
Games The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time
Best video game heroes
Games The 25 best heroes in games of all time
super mario movie
Super Mario Nintendo celebrates Mario's 40th anniversary not with a new 3D platformer for Switch 2, but a Thanksgiving Parade balloon one exec insists is "sure to have fans everywhere cheering 'Wahoo!'"
Meeting the yeti-like puppet creature Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Games Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 congratulates Team Cherry on launching Hollow Knight: Silksong, which coincidentally might include a nod to the French JRPG and GOTY rival
Helldivers 2 X Halo ODST Warbond crossover Helldiver in ODST armor with silenced SMG in storm
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 players defended a Halo Reach-esque planet so hard that Arrowhead has declared a new "Avengement Day" annual holiday to honor the brave Beach warriors
Helldivers 2
Third Person Shooters As Xbox fans discover just how brutal Helldivers 2 can be, Arrowhead's CEO thanks "gigachad" veterans for being "being so nice to all the new divers"
A crop of the Retro Gamer 252 The Magic of Mario cover image showing Mario spinning through space with stars around him
Super Mario Super Mario Galaxy has a "horribly inefficient" secret: the credits are always loaded in the background while you play, which has the "inadvertently heartwarming" side effect of making sure the platformer always remembers the Nintendo legends who made it
A screenshot in Fortnite shows a pink-haired character crouched by a statue of a roly poly bug, with the name 'Olive' on the base of the sculpture.
Fortnite After a Fortnite player's post about their late sister "saying hello to me in my favorite game" went viral, Epic Games added a statue in her honor: "I will forever cherish this"
Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Futures Unwritten Ultimate raid
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 boss Naoki Yoshida might not have become a Square Enix dev if it weren't for a "jerk" childhood friend that accidentally taught him PvP by tricking him into being bad at 1983 Mario Bros.
The Duck Hunt dog is laughing at you
Games Nintendo's iconic NES Zapper could have been called something else if "a third" of a housewife focus group hadn't walked out of a Duck Hunt preview: "No guns are coming in my house"
A view of the countryside in Where Winds Meet
Open World Games Battered and bruised Where Winds Meet players rally together to rid the Wuxia open-world MMO of its demonic geese: "Yeet into the water. Every single one of them"
Princess Peach Showtime
Super Mario Nintendo veteran says an "ad agency" created the alternate Princess Peach name that confused US fans for years, and it was only fixed for Super Mario 64 because Miyamoto liked "Peach" so much
A crop of the Retro Gamer 252 The Magic of Mario cover image showing Mario spinning through space with stars around him
Super Mario 40 years later, Mario is still the ultimate gaming mascot: "He's got that Mickey Mouse effect"
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Platforming Games No Man's Sky boss Sean Murray turns the meme tables and begs Silksong developer Team Cherry to let him pay more than $20 for the upcoming Metroidvania
Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of the Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo standing in front of a Nintendo Switch 2.
Games I've been recommending nerdy presents for over a decade, and I think these are the best gifts for gamers in 2025
Trending
  • Early Black Friday deals
  • Fallout Season 2
  • New Games for 2025
  • Gift Guides
  1. Games

What are video game characters thankful for?

Features
By John_Learned published 28 November 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Let's eat!

Let's eat!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means every relative you have is going to be asking you the same question: are you thankful for anything? Its that time of year, after all, when Americans binge themselves and celebrate the highs and lows of the past 365 days. You're not the only one asked that question, though--all around the universe, video game characters are taking stock of what makes their lives so great.

In an effort for you to share in the holiday cheer (and hopefully put off shopping just a little bit longer), go ahead and bask in the gratitude of these virtual creations. Our guess is that you might find a kindred spirit along the way, no matter how thankful you may or may not feel this year. Its like sharing pumpkin pie with that one uncle, but maybe less creepy. So gather round the turkey and grab yourself some extra stuffing, because theres a whole lot of thanking to give.

Page 1 of 16
Page 1 of 16
Nathan Drake

Nathan Drake

You know what the greatest treasure of all is? Orange pumpkin mocha frappuccinos. And you can only get them during Thanksgiving! That's what I'm thankful for.

Page 2 of 16
Page 2 of 16
GLaDOS

GLaDOS

"I am going to surprise you here and say that I am thankful for science. Ha ha ha, just kidding. There is no logical basis for being thankful. As a result, I regret to inform you that Thanksgiving is canceled and your food has been incinerated."

Page 3 of 16
Page 3 of 16
Marcus Fenix

Marcus Fenix

"I've got the thickest goddamn neck on the planet. If you don't think that's something to be thankful for, you're an idiot."

Page 4 of 16
Page 4 of 16
Link

Link

*silently and cynically holds up a bag of rupees*

Page 5 of 16
Page 5 of 16
Kratos

Kratos

"These chains, welded unto my undying flesh, chains which have rent my soul and caused the suffering that mortals dare not dream, slice wild game asunder within seconds. I will have my revenge, but I will also have turkey."

Page 6 of 16
Page 6 of 16
Trip

Trip

"Monkey, obviously. Sure, I needed him to carry me through this devastated future Earth, but the guy literally carried me. Who even does that? It's crazy!"

Page 7 of 16
Page 7 of 16
Edward Kenway

Edward Kenway

"A leg of wild boar and a Hispaniola lovely's naked rump! No, but if I'm being honest here, I'm thankful for oranges. Scurvy's a real bitch, you know?"

Page 8 of 16
Page 8 of 16
Elizabeth

Elizabeth

"Im grateful for the infinite possibilities to be grateful beyond the one reality you thought I was grateful in."

Page 9 of 16
Page 9 of 16
The Chosen Undead

The Chosen Undead

"I walked 15 feet in front of me and didnt get rolled by a lizard man with a broadsword or a giant poisonous rat. Small victories."

Page 10 of 16
Page 10 of 16
Nick Ramos

Nick Ramos

"Chain saws, an old paper towel roll, mint chewing gum, a stapler, a size 7 ladies running shoe (the left one), flamethrowers, a 4 lbs. dumbbell, cooking sherry, and a box of business cards. Are we talking Christmas or Thanksgiving?!"

Page 11 of 16
Page 11 of 16
Trevor Philips

Trevor Philips

"Meth! Meth meth methy methal meth! It goes GREAT with LITERALLY ANYTHING.

Page 12 of 16
Page 12 of 16
Simon Belmont

Simon Belmont

"...Turkey."

Page 13 of 16
Page 13 of 16
Geralt of Rivia

Geralt of Rivia

"I should be thankful for my memories coming back, but Im not. I should be thankful for my friends sticking with me, but they didnt. So I dont know. My gravely voice? Elf booty? Pick one of those."

Page 14 of 16
Page 14 of 16
Commander Shepard

Commander Shepard

"I'm Commander Shepard and I'm thankful for this article."

Page 15 of 16
Page 15 of 16
What are you thankful for?

What are you thankful for?

Alright, so that's a small sampling of the things we thing game characters should be thankful for this holiday season. Of course, if you ask us here at GamesRadar, we're going with cheese dogs and mustard. What about you?

And if you're looking for more, check out our round-up of the best Black Friday deals or our game-free gift guide.

Page 16 of 16
Page 16 of 16
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
John_Learned
Read more
The 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters
The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time
 
 
Best video game heroes
The 25 best heroes in games of all time
 
 
super mario movie
Nintendo celebrates Mario's 40th anniversary not with a new 3D platformer for Switch 2, but a Thanksgiving Parade balloon one exec insists is "sure to have fans everywhere cheering 'Wahoo!'"
 
 
Meeting the yeti-like puppet creature Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 congratulates Team Cherry on launching Hollow Knight: Silksong, which coincidentally might include a nod to the French JRPG and GOTY rival
 
 
Helldivers 2 X Halo ODST Warbond crossover Helldiver in ODST armor with silenced SMG in storm
Helldivers 2 players defended a Halo Reach-esque planet so hard that Arrowhead has declared a new "Avengement Day" annual holiday to honor the brave Beach warriors
 
 
Helldivers 2
As Xbox fans discover just how brutal Helldivers 2 can be, Arrowhead's CEO thanks "gigachad" veterans for being "being so nice to all the new divers"
 
 
Latest in Games
A player in the hub of Arc Raiders
"Naked Man" Arc Raiders scientist conducts diligent "social experiment" on player greed for loot, reports no one wants to see you naked and will kill you 63 out of 75 times
 
 
GTA 6
GTA 6 does not impress Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher actor Doug Cockle says "I really don't care about" the Rockstar game, even if it beats The Witcher 3's awards record
 
 
Hornet clashes with the pinstress in Hollow Knight: Silksong in a training cutscene
Team Cherry demonstrates the evolution between Hollow Knight and Silksong: "If the Last Judge had existed in the previous game, it would have probably been more of a big, round blob"
 
 
Key art for Marathon showing a colorful cybernetic character with a gun taking cover
Presumably praying people have room for another extraction shooter after Arc Raiders, Bungie opens Marathon signups for December playtest
 
 
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders was going to be a cross "between Shadow of the Colossus, Left 4 Dead, and PUBG" according to dev, who says Embark initially had no idea "what kind of game loop we were supposed to have"
 
 
Team Fortress 2 Scout in a hat and headset smiling
The median price of best-selling new games on Steam has dropped in the past 2 years, research finds: "Charging >$25 is getting trickier, as players compare value to the $10-$15 indie titles"
 
 
Latest in Features
Player housing in World of Warcraft: Midnight
After 21 years of feeling at home in World of Warcraft, Midnight finally gives me a real place to call home
 
 
The Big Preview art of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era showing warring armies with a town and a dragon in the background - showing the Cover Story tag
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a "great pleasure" and a "great responsibility" for its superfan CEO, and he's governed by one guiding principle: "Heroes is for everyone"
 
 
Steve Rogers and Nick Fury Jr. conferring
Captain America #6 will send Steve Rogers and Nick Fury Jr's new SHIELD into the "powder keg" of a war-torn Latveria where they'll have to "reckon with the ghost of Doom" as well as the rampaging Red Hulk
 
 
Will from Moonlighter 2 runs towards us, against a GamesRadar+ On The Radar background
On the Radar with Moonlighter 2 – delving beyond the early access launch of this roguelike RPG with exclusive developer access
 
 
Will sells many items at once in Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, with a GamesRadar+ On the Radar frame
Moonlighter 2’s shop system solves the age-old RPG issue of your bag being filled with useless tat
 
 
Key art for Marathon showing a colorful cybernetic character with a gun taking cover, with a GamesRadar+ frame that reads 'PS5: Five Year Anniversary'
The run-up to Marathon's release has been such a train wreck that it's easy to forget that the game might still be really good
 
 
  1. Key art showing Constance with a paintbrush on a background of brushstrokes
    1
    Constance review: "If Hollow Knight: Silksong seems too daunting, this wonderful paint powered adventure should do nicely"
  2. 2
    This enthralling team board game is perfect for playing with family this Thanksgiving
  3. 3
    Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"
  4. 4
    Demonschool review: "This Persona-inspired RPG is full of fun, flair, and ready to chomp away at your free time"
  5. 5
    Morsels review: "The Binding of Isaac style roguelike shooting gets somehow grosser, but struggles to set itself apart"
  1. Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked: For Good
    1
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  2. 2
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  3. 3
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  4. 4
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  5. 5
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  1. Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka, looking scared, in Pluribus.
    1
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  2. 2
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  3. 3
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  4. 4
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  5. 5
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...